Ronda Rousey: 'I'm a huge underdog' for what I want to accomplish
When Ronda Rousey walks into the Octagon on Saturday night at UFC 190, she likely will be the biggest favorite in the history of the promotion as she faces undefeated Brazilian Bethe Correia in the main event.
According to some oddsmakers, Rousey is sitting as much as an 18-to-1 favorite over Correia, which puts the UFC women's bantamweight champion atop the list of largest odds for any fight in the UFC.
But despite those gaudy numbers in her favor, Rousey isn't looking past Correia or predicting that this fight will end in even quicker fashion than her past two, each of which ended in less time than it takes an NBA shot clock to run out.
Funnily enough, Rousey actually sees herself as the biggest underdog on the entire UFC 190 fight card — in a manner of speaking.
"In these individual fights I might be a heavy favorite; in the end goal I'm not a favorite at all. I'm a huge underdog. The end goal is I want to retire undefeated and be remembered as one of the most dominant athletes of all time," Rousey explained on “America's Pregame” on Tuesday.
"There's these athletes that have come up and been really dominant for a period and seemed indestructible for a period, but that time came to an end and eventually they had to retire."
Rousey says her goals are much bigger than just traveling to an opponent's backyard and embarrassing the fighter in front of her friends and family. She wants to go down as the only MMA fighter to go her entire career with an unblemished record, and none of that happens if Rousey loses this weekend.
When looking at the big picture, Rousey sees her battle as the ultimate underdog story.
"I want to be that one that retired on top and was always undefeated and walked out because I took the belt off and I handed it back because I felt like it was time for someone else to carry it. Not because anyone took it from me," Rousey said. "That's the way that I stay hungry.
"The goal is much bigger than that, than just one person. I'm just breaking it up into bite-sized pieces."
Rousey is being touted as the most dominant athlete in sports, but she's not content with being labeled that just for now.
She wants to go down as the most dominant combat sports athlete of all time while breaking records that have never been broken and setting new records.
"Who's done it before? Who has retired undefeated and been thoroughly dominant their whole career? Rocky Marciano, I think? That one a long time ago? I can't really think of anybody else," Rousey said.
"Even my favorites have ended up, they were the best for a time and then their time came to a close. I want to have the whole time be my time and go out on my terms and not someone else's."
Rousey has a chance to win her sixth consecutive title defense this weekend, facing Correia in Brazil while potentially moving her MMA record to a perfect 12-0. Given the way she's dispatched every other fighter in her path, it's hard to believe Rousey won't continue on her goal after UFC 190 is finished.
Don't miss a minute of Rousey's fight this weekend with our UFC 190 schedule and viewing guide for all the events taking place in Brazil.
